Using AI to create lesson plans and curriculum brings out strong emotions in the homeschooling world. Some people are against it on principle and others embrace it wholeheartedly. I’ve been slowly dipping my feet into the AI waters by using ChatGPT to help me stay on track with my diet and exercise, to reword sensitive emails, and to organize pieces of writing in preparation for a book. So, when I was facing the new school year with very limited funds, a well stocked bookshelf, and a new ninth grader, I decided to see if Gemini could help me create a typical ninth grade course of study.

My son is my sixth and last kid entering ninth grade, so I have previous experience with homeschooling through high school. I think that’s why I was comfortable using AI to create lesson plans and curriculum because I already knew from experience what is normally covered. Before I enlisted the help of Gemini, I visited our public school district website to see how many credits were now expected, and what the various science, math, history, geography, language arts, and elective requirements were. I asked my son if he preferred a textbook approach or a living book approach to school this year. He chose a living book approach. I offered him options for science (biology, earth and space science, or physical science) and he chose earth and space science. Armed with all of this information, I was now ready to go to Gemini for assistance.

To use AI effectively, you have to use a good prompt. I asked the same prompt for each subject, “What is a typical course of study for ninth grade (fill in the subject)?”

I was blown away by how thorough the response was. Once I had a response, then I tweaked it with follow up requests or questions. For example, when AI told me that a typical ninth-grade language arts course of study covered literature study, composition and writing, grammar and mechanics, vocabulary and word study, and speaking and listening, I asked if it could create a 36-week set of lesson plans for a Texas homeschool student. I asked it to incorporate a grammar curriculum that I already owned into the weekly assignments. Then I asked Gemini to create a PDF for each subject using a 36-week plan.

Could I have done this myself? Yes, certainly and I have done so in the past. However, as a working homeschool parent, my time is at a premium. Using AI to create lesson plans and curriculum is a huge time-saver, as long as you know that it can make mistakes. I find that I get the best use from it when I’m using it to help me do something with which I have familiarity.

Another bonus to using AI is that it can introduce you to resources you didn’t even know were available. One such resource that we’re enjoying is a free online science textbook from CK-12, which has customizable textbooks called Flexbooks for all grade levels in math, science, English, and other topic areas. These textbooks have clickable links to videos and diagrams, and separate worksheets, quizzes, and exams are also available. I had no idea this was out there and would still not know if it weren’t for Gemini including it in the Earth and Space Science course it helped me to create.

Using AI to create lesson plans and curriculum is also helpful when you have a kid who is interested in something that’s not a typical school subject or something you don’t know how to document for a high school transcript. Case in point, my son loves to do “edits.” He’s been using tools such as CapCut, and Alight Motion to create videos, sync them to music, superimpose text, create watermarks, and such. I was fairly certain that I could give him high school credit for this, but unsure what it would take to do so. Cue another prompt “How could video editing using CapCut and Alight Motion be documented for high school credit?” A few moments later, I had a set of guidelines to use, terminology for the credit, criteria to be covered, and a kid who’s excited to get high school credit for something he enjoys.

Using AI to create lesson plans and curriculum will not replace purchasing quality curriculum, in fact, we’re using a paid online math curriculum this year because I am not a math whiz by any stretch of the imagination. It would have been a bad idea for me to have AI create a high school math course for me to implement with my kid. I’m also using a purchased grammar curriculum that I already owned as well as many books for English and science that I already had on hand.

Realizing its limitations and your own is key to using AI effectively and responsibly when creating lesson plans and curriculum.

Have you used AI this year for your homeschooling? Do you have any tips or tricks for your fellow homeschoolers? Let us know in the comments. I’m wishing everyone a great school year and Happy Homeschooling!